Apparatus for the production of glass yarns



Nov. 2, 1943. P. MODIGLIANI 2,333,267

APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GLASS YARNS Original Filed March a. 19392 She ets-Sheet 1 Jiera lladgiian.

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Nov. 2, 1943. P. MODIGLIANI 2,333,267

APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GLASS YARNS Original Filed March 3, 19392 Sheets-$heet 2 Patented Nov. 2, 1943 APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION'OFGLASS YARNS Piero Modigliani, New York, N. Y., assignor to Owens-ComingFiberglas Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Originalapplication March 3, 1939, Serial No.

259,706, now Patent No. 2,265,186, dated December 9, 1941. Divided andthis application December 6, 1941, Serial No. 422,005. In Italy March14, 1938 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to a method of drawing and spinning glassparticularly wherein the glass fibers are accumulated on a sheathingindependent of the cylinder of the drawing machine.

This application is a division of my prior filed application now PatentNo. 2,265,186, issued December 9, 1941.

In previous methods of spinning glass fibers, as described by applicant,the drawing and winding cylinders from which the fiber mat or felt wasobtained by cutting helicoidally or in the direction of a generatrix,formed an integral part of the machine. It was thus necessary to treatthe layer or fiber deposited during the drawing on the machine, whichcaused loss of time and interruption of the drawing operation with theattendant inconveniences.

According to the invention the fibers are deposited in the drawing stageso as to be easily removed in the form of a tubular layer.

The tubular fiber stratum is then carried to the machine from which, byhelicoidally cutting,

or pneumatic or mechanical stretching, or otherwise, the helicoidal orsimply wound mat is transferred to an accumulating drum or cylinder.

According to one embodiment, the tubular strata of glass fiber aredeposited, not on the cylinder of the machine but on a slightly conicaltube or sleeve which can be easily slid on and withdrawn in the form ofa sheath from the cylinder of the drawing machine, to be stored with itscharge of fiber untilit ispassed to the machine for formingthe mat.

In another embodiment, the tubular layer of glass fiber is formed on thecylinder of the drawing machine on a thin sheet, such as paper of anykind. On withdrawing the tubular stratum the thinner inner sheet followsthe formation of the glass fiber and its function is merely to promotethe sliding action between the surface of the cylinder and the tubularlayer. The consistency or solidity of the tubular stratum is assured bythe crossing of the fibres themselves. Thus a kind of cop or tubularmass of self-sustaining consistency is obtained. The same result maybeobtained byforming the cylinder tracted and the cop ortubular mass isliberated.

fiber layer thus mounted on a rigid sleeve of fiber, wood, metal orother material, after withdrawal of the latter.

A method consists in progressively and simultaneously cutting thetubular fiber stratum with knives which pass along its generatrices andwhich are located at regular distances, so as to form a number of stripswhich are subjected to a stretching operation. This stretching may bedone mechanically and then the individual strips produce single wicks orstrands which are wound individually on reels or drums. Or, thestretching may be done pneumatically, as described in application forItalian Patent No. 425/2652 of November 5, 1937, or U. S. applicationSerial No.

236,773, filed October 24, 1938, and the strands collected from thestretched strips with parallel fibers may pass onto straight conesexternally, or into a hollow cone, or on a disc with spiral channels.When collected in a hollow cone of bi-conical form, the strand may bewound again and at once on a rotatable drum the velocity of which variesautomatically according to the weight of the strand or wick accumulatedin the bi-conical container.

These characteristics and advantages of the invention, and others, areexplained by the description of a, construction given by way of exampleonly.

Figure 1 shows the new product obtained in the form of a cop or tubularmass.

Figure 2 shows the method of forming the strands on the machine providedsuccessively with the spindles prepared by drawing on another machine,for example such as that of Italian Patent Reg. No. 428, No. 678,. ofMarch 9, 1938, corresponding to my U. S. application Serial No. 259,705,filed March 3, 1939.

Figure 3 shows a conical spindle or bobbin subject to the action of theknives to form strips which are mechanically drawn and wound.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view along line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 shows the same system'of cutting the tubular mass or receivingdrum of fiber which are stretched by means of injector nozzles andcollected on straight solid cones.

Figure 6 shows diagrammatically a system for collecting the strandsproduced by pneumatic stretching, with apparatus for automaticallywinding the collected strands.

Figure 7 shows the arrangement of the nozzle with its axis parallel withthe table on which the mat cut from the spindle is deposited, for thenpassing the strand in the vertical direction, to be collected.

Figure 8 shows a disc with helicoidal channels and a cover, into whichis passed the strand to be collected by means of the jet of air from theinjectors, before being passed to a winding bobbin.

Referring specifically to the drawings:

In Figure l, l is the tubular glass fiber stratum deposited on a hollowtubular member which is slightly conical so as to be easily slid on thecylinder, which also may be slightly conical, of the drawing machine,for example as shown in Figure 2. Each individual fiber or filamentgoing to make up the glass fiber stratum is continuous and assuming thatsuch fibers are unbroken, their length will be dependent upon thethickness of the stratum deposited on the tubular member. The slightlyconical tubular member i, formed of wound glass fibers, need not beprovided with the conical tubular core when its consistency is such asto assure complete stability or indeformability during the periods ofproduction, storage and transport. A thin sheet of paper, cardboard orother material, or the expansion of the machine cylinders, is thensufiicient to facilitate insertion and withdrawal.

Figure 2 shows the knife-2 which cuts the tubular mass l into ahelicoidal strip which may then be drawn ,as described, for example, inItalian Patent No. 351,056, to which corresponds U. S. applicationSerial No. 204,444, filed April According to Figure 3, the tubular massl is cut progressively by the knives 3, 3, 3", 3"" (Figure 4), formingfour strips s, s, s", s, each about one-fourth as wide as the peripheryof the tubular mass. Each strip forms a wick or strand S", S, S, S. Thestretching and par? alleling of the crossed fibers on the tubular mass Iis realized mechanically by pairs of rollers R, R; and Ra, Ra. Thestrands S", S, S and S' are wound on drums T", T, T, T', respectively.

Corresponding to this mechanical stretching arrangement shown in Figures3 and 4, is shown a pneumatic stretching arrangement in Figure 5, inwhich a battery of four injector nozzles such as 6, 6, etc., take fromthe tubular mass 1 the strips formed by the knives 3, 3', 3", 3" whichprovide the strands I, 'l" deposited on straight cones 4, 5, etc.

To obtain an accumulation of the strands, use may be made of the systemshown in Figure 6 wherein the strand 1. is passed into a vessel 8 in theform of a bi-conical amphora, which presses on a spring M and actuates alever Ill which acts through a rod ill on the crank 14 of an internalchange speed system I2 acting on the transmission shaft actuated by amotor II which sets a winding drum 9 in movement. This diagram showsthat the greater the weight of the mat deposited in the vessel 8, whichis provided with an upper inlet and a lower outlet, the greater is thespeed at which the winding drum 9 rotates, for the purpose ofestablishing equilibrium between the source 01. continuous production ofthe strand in the nozzle Ii and the apparatus for collecting the strandon the drum 9.

Figure 7 shows the nozzle 6 arranged on its horizintal axis to collectthe strand deposited on a table 20. The passage l5 serves to pass thestrand 1 into the bi-conical vessel disposed on its vertical axis. Arapid rotational movement may also be imparted to the member 8 to applythe strip I along its interior walls by means of centrifugal force.

Figure 8 shows that the nozzle 6 may pass the strip or strand into aspiral passage formed in the receiving drum l6 adapted to be coveredwith the lid IS. The air passing through the spiral passages l I carriesthe strand .therein to the center Z from-which it can be withdrawn. Thereceiving drum l6 may also serve as a storage reservoir for thecollected strip or mat, like the bi-conical member 8.

Summarizing: The cops or tubular mass mounted on a light core areadapted for an infiinite variety of uses, for spinning on a machineindependent of the drawing machine and by methods entirely independentof difficult and imperative conditions prevailing during the productionof the fiber. The slightly conical form of the tubular mass permits itto be easily inserted by stretching the narrowest part of the cop ortubular mass.

The materials used for the light hollow core forming the support of thetubular mass'may be of the most widely varied kind, but those which arelighter and stronger are, of course, preferable. i

The invention is described and shown by way of example only, it beingunderstood that numerous modifications may be provided without departingfrom the scope of the invention, which is also applicable to thehandling of other artifioial fibers having physical characteristicssimilar to glass.

I claim? 1. In an apparatus of the class described, a spinning drumcarrying a mat of artificial fibers thereon, a plurality of cuttingknives angularly displaced around the drum for cutting the mat into aplurality of strips extending in parallel to the axis of the drum, meansfor stretching the fibers of the strips into strands, and means forcollecting the strands.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a spinning drum carrying amat of artificial fibers thereon, a plurality of cuttings knivesangularly displaced around the drums for cutting the mat into aplurality of strips extending in parallel to the axis of the drum, aplurality of pairs of rollers for stretching the fibers of the stripsinto strands, and a plurality of drums for collecting the strands formedfrom each of the strips.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a spinning drum carrying amat of artificial fibers thereon, a plurality of cutting knivesangularly displaced around the drum for cutting the mat into aplurality'of strips extending in parallel to the axis of the drum,pneumatic means con- -stituted by injector nozzles for stretching thefibers of the strips into strands, and cones for receiving the strandsformed from each of the strips.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a spinning drum carrying amat of artificial fibers thereon, a plurality of cutting knivesangularly displaced around the drum for cutting the mat into a pluralityof strips extending in parallel to the axis of the drum, pneumatic meanscomprising an injector nozzle for stretching the fibers of the stripinto the form of a strand, and a storage chamber for the strands.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a spinning drum carrying amat of artificial fibers thereon, a plurality of cutting knivesangularly displaced around the drums for cutting the mat into aplurality of strips extending in parallel to the axis of the drum,pneumatic means comprising an injector nozzle for stretching the fibersof the strip into the form of a strand, a storage reservoir for thestrands formed as a bi-conically shaped vessel having an inlet openingand an outlet opening, means for collecting the strand issuing from theoutlet opening comprising a drum, driving means for rotatably actuatingsaid drum, and transmission means connected between said vessel andsaid. driving means for controlling the latter in accordance with theweight of the former to vary automaticaly the collection of the strandson the drum in conformity with the amount of strand stored in saidreservoir.

' 6. In an apparatus of the class described, a spinning drum carrying amat of artificial fibers thereon, a plurality of cutting knivesangularly displaced around the drums for cutting the mat into aplurality of strips extending in parallel to the axis of the drum,pneumatic means comprising an injector nozzle for stretching the fibersof the strip into the form of a strand, a storage reservoir for thestrands formed by a pair of complementary disc elements which arecoupled and closed and define a spiral passage on the interior thereofand having an inlet for the strands upon the outer periphery thereof andan outlet therefor near the center.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a spinning drum carrying amat of artificial fibeis thereon, a plurality of cutting knivesangularly displaced around the drums for cutting the mat into aplurality of strips extending in parallel to the axis of the drum,pneumatic means comprising an injector nozzle for stretching the fibersof the strip into the form of a strand, a storage chamber for thestrands extending at an angle with respect to the injector nozzle, andan arcuate passage between the storage chamber and the injector nozzle.

8. In combination with an injector nozzle for projection of a strand ofartificial fibers, a device for varying the direction of the strandcomprising an arcuate tube having a curvature of 90.

' PIERO MODIGLIANI.

